My name is Patrick Gassmann, I live with my family in Belgium, close to the Spa Francorchamps race track.
My passion for cars and motorcycles really started when my father, to who I am very thankful, pulled out of his pocket, two entry tickets for the German F1 Grand Prix in 1976 at the Nurburgring.

He didn’t know in that exact moment what he was going to initiate in my imagination when he took me to the Holy Nordschleife at the Breitscheid corner.

There, thousands of feelings and sensations stirring up my emotions as the loudspeaker commentating, hundreds of spectators from all nations around the world, big names such as James Hunt, Jody Scheckter, Patrick Depailler, iconic words such as Marlboro McLaren, Brabham, Ligier, Ferrari, 12 cylinder, Tyrrell six wheeler, Cosworth V8, dry track, wet track, slick tyres, Track Marshals, Pit Stop, I was very impressed.
Then Niki Lauda’s terrible firecrash happend.

Many spectators were running toward the crash site where heavy black smoke blooming into the sky followed by the race interruption. My father prevented me from running toward the scene, protecting me from the horrific accident. A very wise decision, thank you Dad !

The race was re-started, shortly after the previous year’s winner, Carlos Reuteman, stopped just in front of me and climbed out of his flamboyant Brabham BT45. He sat on a fence pole while looking at the race with a worried expression across his face. It was in that exact moment I took the first of my two pictures: